


Chasing the Future

by Rdlentz8



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Molly Weasley is a Bitch, No really Molly is the evil stepmom, Romance, Shark Patronus!, Snarky Ginny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:54:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27053755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rdlentz8/pseuds/Rdlentz8
Summary: An unusual and anonymous Patronus finds a frustrated Hermione alone in the library and talks to her about being lonely. Could this be the push she's needed to change her fate? Inspired by A Cinderella Story. There are direct quotes from A Cinderella Story.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 16
Kudos: 20
Collections: Dramione RomCom Fest





	Chasing the Future

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [DramioneRomComFest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/DramioneRomComFest) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> [A Cinderella Story (2004)](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356470/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2)
> 
> All the love in the world to my alpha Seakays! Without you, this wouldn't be a fic. You've been so supportive and awesome. She helped me make sentences that made sense, but any and all errors are mine. This is my very first fic posted and while I know it isn't perfect, I'm pretty proud of it! Since it is my first fic, I also have to give a shout out to LadyKenz and Frumpologist. Without you two and your podcast, I wouldn't know fandom existed. Thanks for welcoming me with open arms and adding a billon open tabs on my browser.

“I’m sending my Patronus out into the World to see if there is someone... anyone who will listen to me.” Hermione yelped at seeing the bright light creating the great white shark Patronus swimming towards her. It swam around her nudging her legs with its large snout, obviously trying to give her comfort before it dissipated in a puff of light.

“What in the world was that?” she muttered. It obviously was someone in need of help. She couldn’t ignore it could she? How would she even trace the caster? She didn’t recognize the muffled voice that spoke to her, clearly, they were trying to hide their identity. She shifted around in her seat and looked around. The library was empty of students, of course, she had stayed past any of her other peers, even though it was only the first week of school. She often closed the library with Madame Pince.

Well, I have to try to respond to them. Hopefully, this gets through. Hermione squinted her eyes, muffled her own voice through her scarf, thought of her happiest memory of her parents, and conjured her otter Patronus. “This is for the shark requesting help. I’m here and willing to listen.” She sat back and waited to see if it would truly work. She strained trying to remember if she knew of anyone who had a shark Patronus. She knew the Patronus charm was highly personal, every Patronus being specific to the caster. She had only seen the Patronus for the order members she was closest to and the members of the DA.

After a few moments, the translucent shark swam back in, headed directly to her. This time she was looking for the unique Patronus and took time to examine it, mentally comparing the dangerous predator to her own Patronus, a playful otter. She had no idea who was sending the anonymous messages. Again, a muffled voice spoke out, “Oh thank Merlin, it worked. I don’t know you; you don’t know me, this is perfect. I can tell you anything. I hate my life and am tired of being alone. Please don’t judge me, I have enough of that.”

Hermione sucked in a breath at the raw honesty being presented to her. Everyone around her was full of all this positivity, happy that the war ended with Voldemort’s death, happy to be alive, and very unwilling to discuss what they had lost in the war. Hermione felt a connection to the ambiguous voice speaking to her through the Patronus. She twirled her wand as she thought about her reply and decided to act impetuously.

“I’m not thrilled with my life currently either. I’m surprised anyone can be after everything we’ve been through, with the battle and the aftermath. I would love to discuss this with you further, but I believe neither of us would like to have the conversation overheard, making the Patronus less than ideal for communication.”

She sat and waited again for a reply, excited this time when she saw the shark. “What are you suggesting then, as I agree, I don’t want my life blathered about in the halls?”

Hermione reached into her bag, grabbed two parchments, and cast a variable of the Protean charm she had been experimenting with on them. She tested the parchments to ensure they were working properly and grinned. She conjured her Patronus and spoke, again muffled, “I have left a parchment in the Arithmancy section of the library closest to Ancient Runes. It is twinned to one I have in my possession. If you want to talk, find it and write to me. I’ll be leaving now so you don’t have to worry about being seen.”

Hermione smiled as she walked out of the library headed back to the Gryffindor common room. Since she had returned to Hogwarts to complete her education, sans the other members of the media dubbed Golden Trio, she had felt as if she were drowning, lost in a sea of people, and suffocating in their presence. She tried to present a positive outlook to her peers, but she knew it was nothing but a mask.

Losing her parents had been her last straw. What they went through in the war was bad enough, but her parents had died without even knowing that she existed. It was the saddest thing she could imagine. She did everything she could to protect them- sending them out of the country and altering their memories, for them to be hit by a reckless driver, costing them their lives. To add insult to injury, Hermione had not been able to properly handle the financial aspects of their lives before sending them away, causing all her parent’s assets to be forfeit. Since Hermione didn’t exist to them, she had been informed by Molly Weasley there was nothing that she could do to claim her inheritance.

She was grateful to the Weasley family though. After Molly had broken the news to her that she was practically penniless, Molly immediately gave her a job at the twins’ newly opened Hogsmeade store. The twins had given the management of the store to Molly, feeling guilty about the death of Percy. Fred particularly thought it was supposed to be him that died on that horrible day in May since Percy had pushed him out of the way of the wreckage caused by a death eater’s curse. She wasn’t paid for her work, but Molly graciously offered to pay her Hogwarts tuition in lieu of a salary. Hermoine had agreed, heartbroken, and left with no other options.

Although appreciative, she hated working there, Hermione had never been a fan of pranks, but wouldn’t be able to afford being enrolled at Hogwarts without the job. Molly was constantly stopping in to check on her and give her more duties. She was quick to criticize the work she had already done and made her redo tasks that were not up to Molly’s standards. Every time she did, Molly continuously reminded her if her work wasn’t up to par they would have to find a new employee, one that they would have to pay. If they had to pay an employee, they, unfortunately, wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for Hermione’s schooling. At least they worked around her schedule, allowing her enough time to study for her NEWTs. Well, typically they were flexible with her schedule. Lately, it seemed as if Molly kept giving her more and more to do. So far, her schoolwork hadn’t suffered, but she did feel like she was having to rush her revising.

Luckily, she had her favorite Weasley around for their last year at Hogwarts. Ginny was her best friend and had been her saving grace. She helped keep her sane and her sarcasm and wit were refreshing. Hermione wondered what Ginny would think of her late-night visitor. Hell, she wasn’t sure what she thought about the person. Were they serious about not being happy with their life? Were they as lonely as she was? The more she thought about the exchange, the quicker she walked. She was excited to check her parchment to see if they wrote her.

Hermione got back to her room and immediately tore into her bag to pull out the parchment. She saw her small, tidy hand from testing the parchments, but there was more. In a neat scrawl were the words, “Hello, are you there? I feel so stupid for doing this, but I’m desperate.”

Hermione’s heart broke a bit for the stranger writing her. “I’m here. I’ll listen to whatever you want to share with me.”

She saw the script begin to flow onto the page and a story unfolded in front of her eyes. Whoever this was had an immensely strict father who expected the person to follow in his exact footsteps. Take the same NEWTs, follow in the same social circle, date only approved people, and enter the family business after school. Anything outside of the boundaries set by their father was considered the utmost betrayal.

Hermione was horrified by how this person was treated. None of their opinions mattered. They were treated like property rather than a person. When her parents were alive, they respected her. They let her have whatever dreams she wanted and supported her in them. Her father would always tell her from a young age, “Fairy tales aren’t just about finding handsome princes. They’re about fulfilling your dreams and about standing up for what you believe in.” It was the motto she based her life and choices on. It was why she stood with Harry through the war because she believed it was the right thing to do. The last goal that she discussed with her parents was to be admitted to the training program at St. Mungo’s and become a healer. She wanted this more than ever now that they were gone, it felt like a last promise to fulfill to her parents- to see her dreams become a reality. Of course, Molly kept telling her that wasn’t possible now since she didn’t have the money to pay for the tuition for the training program, which was significantly higher than the Hogwarts tuition. Hermione was still determined that she would find a way.

She talked into the night with the stranger, asking questions, and getting to know them. She was shocked to find out that they also dreamed of becoming a healer at St. Mungo’s. She was even more shocked when she began opening up to the person on the other end of the parchment herself. Telling this person of how lonely she felt, the loss of her parents, how the war had hurt her. She was careful not to put in too many details, just as the other person had. They were both trying to conceal their identities. They wrote back and forth, clearing the parchment when it was full until Hermione almost fell asleep with her quill in her hand.

For the next few weeks any time Hermione was not studying or working at the shop, she was writing to her stranger on the parchment. The time was not as often as she’d like because Molly was pushing her hard at the store and revising for NEWTs was of the utmost priority. The longer she worked there the more Molly pushed on her. She knew Molly had always been harder on her than anyone else, never adopting her into the family as she did with Harry. Molly kept her at an arm's length, always believing the worst in her. It felt very similar to how Molly treated her in fourth year after that annoying insect Skitters article. Hermione got the impression that Molly was using her grief as an excuse to get out of work, leaving more for Hermione, making her double and triple count inventory, stating that she would do it, but she had to go put fresh flowers on Percy’s grave instead.

\--------

Ginny plopped down on Hermione’s bed, “How’s the boyfriend?”

“The person is not my boyfriend. I’m not even sure they are male. We are careful not to use pronouns or anything to identify who we are. The parchment is a space without judgment.”

Ginny rolled her eyes at her best friend. “You talk to this person every free moment you have; you talk about how alike you are in every other moment you aren’t talking to them. Hermione, you are dating them. And please tell me you don’t get dude vibes from him.”

“Ok, I may have a feeling that the other person is a male but that doesn’t mean we’re dating.” Hermione blushed. Just because she may have gotten some flirting vibes from their conversations, didn’t mean she had to tell Ginny that.

“Oh, please, you’re blushing. Someone has a crrruuuush.” Ginny teased.

“I do not. I can just tell this person needs someone to talk to. We all went through a rough time. If I didn’t have you and your family, I wouldn’t have anyone either. And…. It’s nice, talking to someone who doesn’t know me. Someone who isn’t trying to praise me as part of the Golden Trio, spit at me because I’m still just Potter’s muggle-born, or even worse, pity me because of my parents.”

Ginny looked at Hermione quizzically and then smirked, “Oh, wow, you have it bad for this guy.”

Hermione threw a pillow at Ginny, laughing, and thoroughly denying her friend’s assessment of the situation.

\--------------

Hermione had just gotten back to the common room after her Charms class. She plopped on the overstuffed couch in front of the fireplace and immediately dug into her bag for her parchment to see if her “pen pal” had written her. She read and reread what was on the parchment. She was often surprised at how poetic he could be. Yes, he, because Ginny was right, she thought of the other person as a him. Tears pricked her eyes as she felt the words to her core and brought butterflies to her stomach. She sat there not even sure how to respond.

Ever since her parents’ deaths, she had felt the exact same. She hadn’t even talked to the mysterious person about that, trying to be supportive and prove that she was listening rather than dump her own problems on him. But this rocked her, utterly and completely. She hadn’t felt so understood by another being since before going on the run with Harry and Ron, and she wasn’t even the person talking. The words in front of her made her take a look at her life- her schoolwork, her friends, her job, the people who told her she was family. It made her feel… anxiously hopeful.

Again, she realized Ginny was correct- she had it bad. She picked up her quill, trying to determine how to respond. She decided to let loose with her own feelings, let the man on the other end know he wasn’t alone. As she wrote her reply, the firelight danced over the words on the parchment that he wrote her- “I live in a world full of people pretending to be something they're not. But when I talk to you, I'm the guy I want to be.”

The conversation went deep into the night. Once she let her feelings flow, she couldn’t stop. She kept her identity secret of course, just as he did, but unleashed all the feelings she’d been holding in. And he responded in kind, opening up to her even more. She felt such a rush talking to him. The more they talked, the more poetic, almost romantic he became.

He started asking questions. It was obvious that he was trying to determine who she was. This made her nervous. She was no one. Of course, she was under the scrutiny of the entire wizarding world because she helped Harry, but she preferred to be no one. She didn’t want to be under the spotlight, her entire life put out into the world for everyone to see, to make judgments on. She had seen how the papers could sway the opinion of the populace so many times. She remembered what they had done to Harry and even her.

She gave him enough information to understand who she was, but not to know her identity. He would know every inner thought she had. How she resented Molly for making her work so hard, how she missed her friends, missed her parents, how she still planned on keeping both of their goals of being a healer as payment to her parents. They shared stories, each one giving when the other did, both the good and the bad. By the time they said goodnight and Hermione passed out in her bed, she felt as if she were lighter, releasing all the stains from her psyche and feeling more hopeful than she had since she could remember. She was practically giddy.

The last thing she thought about before she fell into blissful sleep was him asking to meet her at the school’s Halloween ball. She immediately told him no, petrified he would reject her as soon as he saw who she was. His last reply made her grin more than any of their other conversations, garnering him the short reply of, “Yes.“

“I can’t sleep without knowing there’s hope. Half the night I waste in sighs. In a wakeful doze, I sorrow. For the hand, the lips, the eyes.”

\------

Hermione went into her shift at the store with a skip in her step the next day. Her mood wasn’t even brought down when Molly insisted that she go clean up the pygmy puff stand, again, because she “must not have actually cleaned it the first time.” She did roll her eyes when Molly went and sat in the back office declaring that her feet were hurting from being at the register all day while Hermione was in school. This was a common argument between them. Hermione kept stating that she had to take all the classes enrolled in, without the proper NEWTs there was no way she would be accepted into the healer program. Molly liked to remind her that without her help, she wouldn’t be in school at all anymore and that she needed to help out at the shop more. Molly also liked reminding her that having to cover any shifts kept her away from the remaining members of her family, pointed look on her face as if it was Hermione’s fault that Percy was dead.

After Hermione finished cleaning all the displays, some for the second time, she went back to the office, determined to talk to Molly about the Halloween ball. “Molly, I would like to talk to you about one of my upcoming shifts. As you know, the Halloween Ball is coming up”

“Oh good, I was wanting to talk to you about that as well. Since it's my Ginny’s last year, I don’t want to miss a single moment. I’ve already talked to Minerva about it and she agreed that I could come to the school to help Ginny get ready. I’m going to need you to be here that night so I can be there for my Ginny.”

“But, Molly-“

“Oh good, I knew you would understand. There’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you and I think you’re ready to hear it. Hermione, you’re not very pretty, like my Ginny is. I’m sure you don’t have a date for the ball as she does. She needs her Mum by her side for all these big moments. Ohh I’m sooo glad we had this talk. I’ve wanted to get that off my chest. If you are finally done cleaning, you can lock up for the night at closing. I’m sure Arthur is wondering where I am.”

“Molly-“

“Great, I knew you would understand. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Molly apparated directly out of the office to her home, leaving Hermione dumbfounded and hurt.

\-------

“Ginny, you know I love you and your family, but your mum was a downright bitch!”

Ginny gasped at her friend. She knew that her mum had been rough on her best friend, but she didn’t realize it had reached that level. She listened to her best friend explain what happened the night before and felt appalled at the behavior of her own mother.

“Oh, Hermione, I’m sorry. I don’t even know what to say to that. Do you want me to tell her not to come before the Halloween ball? I need help getting into my costume, but I can find someone else if I need to. Hell, I’m sure you could help me wriggle into it.”

“There is no getting out of it this time Gin. She pulled the family card. No one can tell your mum no when she pulls the family card, not even before what happened to Percy. She sure likes to remind me I don’t even have that card to pull anymore. I’m completely dependent on your family. If she decided to take away my job for disobeying her I’d have to leave Hogwarts, never take my NEWTs, and I’d have no chance to become a healer.” Hermione sighed, “I’ll just have to tell my mystery man that I won’t be able to make it.”

“Whoa, WHAT?! Hermione Jean Granger, you are going to have to back way up and explain yourself. Are you telling me that the anonymous pen pal of yours finally wants to meet? And my mum is now in the way of that? Oh, hell no! You are going to be at that ball, I’ll make sure of it. You just leave the details to me.”

“Gin, there is no one else to work. I have to-“

“Absolutely not. Mum isn’t the only one that can work the family card. I will take care of this.” Ginny said with a glint in her eye. “You just make sure that you have a fantastic costume to play up those assets of yours. As much as we all love your big brain, it's time to make the rest of you shine too.”

Hermione glanced over and saw the look in her friend’s eyes. She decided not to push the matter. She learned a long time ago not to get in Ginny’s way when her mind was made up. “Well, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go look at costumes,” she said, chewing on her fingernail nervously.

“Good, we have a Hogsmeade trip next weekend, then the ball is the weekend after that.

\------

The girls entered their common room laughing, returning from their shopping excursion in Hogsmeade.

“Did you see his face?” Ginny giggled.

“I thought I was going to fall over when he just apologized for being in the way- to me of all people, the most famous muggle-born of them all.”

“What do you think he was doing just standing there? He was looking all around like he’d lost something. If I wasn’t already dating Neville, I’d help him find it personally.” Winked Ginny.

“Gin!”

“What can I say, the ferret grew up well. Who knew that kicking a dark lord out of your house could be so good for your complexion? We both know that if you forget his entire personality, he is the hottest guy in the castle.”

“Again, I say, Gin!”

“He’s been pretty quiet this year, of course, that’s not a huge surprise. His family was on the wrong side and got caught. They’d all be in jail if it wasn’t for Harry. He’s lucky his mum decided to lie to old Voldy.”

“He has been pretty quiet. He’s in all of my classes but he mostly stays to himself beside the small group of Slytherins that came back this year. I always see him around that Greengrass girl, Zabini, and Nott.”

“That must be who he was looking for- his entourage. You know he never made it before without Crabbe and Goyle hanging on his every word. He has to have his adoring fans.”

Hermione sat there in thought. She had seen the way Crabbe and Goyle treated Malfoy almost reverently before. She had also observed the Slytherins that had returned for eighth year. They all stayed to themselves. There hadn’t been any bullying out of them. If anything, it was the other way around, but they handled any altercations almost gracefully. Never arguing with other kids or putting them down as they would have done automatically before. Malfoy had even apologized to her when she was the one that had bumped into him, paying more attention to Ginny rather than where she was going. She thought about the look in his eye when he apologized, and she had a weird thought that he was apologizing for more than them bumping into each other.

“Hello, Earth to Hermione!” Ginny was waving her hand in front of her face. “Where did you go?”

Hermione shook her head as if trying to clear away the confusing train of thought. “I don’t know, I think the whole group of them is just sad. They acted how they were raised to act. Their parents taught them to be that way.”

Ginny narrowed her eyes at her, “I know you are always trying to save someone, but they are a lost cause. Look what happened to you in Malfoy’s house. It's people like him that are the reason your parents are gone, and you have to work in the twins’ shop to be able to finish school.”

“I know, but what-“

“No what-ifs Hermione. Those people are always going to the same, watching each other’s backs at the expense of others. Stay away from them. Besides, don't you have mystery boy to be worried about? Now let’s go look at this fabulous dress you found for a costume! I can’t believe you found such a deal. You, my dear, are going to be a knock-out. Mystery boy isn’t going to have a chance come Saturday night.”

“You did talk to your mother, right? I will be able to go?”

“Of course, Hermione. I wouldn’t let you down. Mum said it would be fine.” Ginny shifted her eyes to the side.

“What are you leaving out?”

“Weeeeeeeelllll…”

“Ginny!”

“Mum said you would have to work four extra shifts and the morning shift to make up for her having to pay a part-time worker to cover you. I tried to get her to just let you off, I really did! She just wouldn’t hear it.”

Hermione tackled the grinning Ginny to the bed squeezing her the hardest she could. She had her costume, her best friend, and a budding relationship that gave her all the excitement in the world, the most she felt since her parents died. She could take a few extra shifts, no problem. For the first time in a long time, Hermione was happy with where her life was headed.

  
  
  



End file.
